Cramlington woman endures fifth operation for brain and spine-crushing condition

The 33-year-old had to wear a surgical halo for 18 months to keep her alive, but that has now been removed

A woman with a rare condition which threatens to crush her brain and spine has undergone a fifth operation.

Melanie Hartshorn, 33, of Cramlington, Northumberland, has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome which causes her skull to dislocate from her neck and spine.

For 18 months she wore a surgical halo vest to keep her alive but that has now been removed by a surgeon in Barcelona.

Ms Hartshorn is hoping to be home for Christmas, but will have to return to Spain in January for a final operation.

Ms Hartshorn has been recovering in intensive care for four weeks

She had her fourth operation to fuse her neck and spine last year after raising £160,000.

But she must now raise a further £80,000 for the final procedure which she said was her last "chance to live".

The surgery, which was carried out by spine and neurosurgeon Dr Vicenç Gilete, is not available in the UK.

It involved an operation through her throat, after which she was placed into an induced coma.

The final procedure will involve surgery through Ms Hartshorn's sternum to operate on her spine.

Melanie Hartshorn met Danny O'Donoghue of rock band The Script days before she deteriorated

She said: "I'm alive, out of the halo after 18 months, seizure free and breathing.

"Unfortunately, I've been suffering a lot since leaving hospital as my neck is very unstable, and has become more so since the halo was removed and I started moving around again.

"I'm not strong enough for more surgery yet as I'm still healing, so it will probably be done in January.

"However, I've been fitted with a new brace to try and stabilise it so I can sit up again, to fly home."

Friends and family cheered Ms Hartshorn on as she collected her degree certificate in 2016

Ms Hartshorn hopes to eventually become a primary school teacher and lead a normal life.

She added: "I'm super grateful to the team here in Barcelona] for looking after me so well and of course to everyone who donated and helped to save my life.

"I hope to continue to fundraise to have this last surgery as soon as possible.

"The overwhelming worry we all have is that if the next surgery is not done soon, the instability could permanently damage the work that has just been done and we simply can't let that happen."

Melanie Hartshorn is determined to lead as normal a life as possible and become a primary teacher